Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler (2008)

I finished off the Best Supporting Actresses for 2008 with Marisa Tomei, nominee, (193) in The Wrestler. This was Tomei’s 3rd career Oscar nomination. She was previously nominated for In the Bedroom (2001) and for her surprising Oscar win in 1992 for My Cousin Vinny. In The Wrestler, Tomei plays Cassidy, a middle aged single mom by day and a tattooed exotic dancer by night. Her character forms a bond with Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke) in Darren Aronofsky’s gritty wrestling pic.

Tomei went up against some tough competition for the Supporting Actress Award. She was facing off against first time nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Amy Adams and Viola Davis (two supporting nominees from Doubt), and the eventual winner Penelope Cruz for Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Cruz became Woody Allen’s third actress to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- along with two time winner Dianne Wiest (Hannah & Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway) and Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite). I still have three more Woody Allen Supporting Actress nominees to check out: Mariel Hemingway, Maureen Stapleton and Samantha Morton.